The White House's refusal to temporarily suspend shipping restrictions in the wake of Hurricane Maria isn't the only thing preventing Puerto Ricans from acquiring emergency supplies. "In Texas, we can ship the trucks right out there", said Trump. The United States now has 16 Navy and Coast Guard ships operating near Puerto Rico and 10 more are on the way, said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long.

The Trump administration had said a waiver was not needed for Puerto Rico because there were enough USA -flagged ships available to ferry goods to the island. "This is tough stuff", Trump said.

He said he has been speaking with members of Congress from both parties who have supported an emergency waiver.

"It definitely does create some logistical challenges", Montano says.

"All the windows were blown out, the whole building is destroyed", said Rodriguez, swiping through photos her father sent her. Spokesman David Lapan said most of the humanitarian shipments to Puerto Rico will be through barges, which make up a significant portion of the USA -flagged cargo fleet.

She showed us pictures of her last trip to Puerto Rico.

The two described their hometown in Puerto Rico as war zones.

She says because people have no way to communicate truckers can't be mobilized.

Across the island, the power system is decimated, plunging cities and small communities into what San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz calls a humanitarian crisis.

"It's the most hard job because it's on an island", Trump said of aid efforts. Rossello said he has deployed "runners" to report back on the needs of the various towns and cities. And its entire energy grid was still down, leaving most without power.

One more thing about disaster recovery, says Sarah Watson, a former journalist who covered the impact of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey in 2012.